UB School of Law announces new graduate program in environmental law

By Lisa M. Mueller

“Whether advocating the position of a public interest group, a corporate client, a government agency or a private citizen, almost every area of legal practice today touches upon some aspect of environmental law.”

Kim Diana Connolly, professor of law

University at Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo School of Law
has developed a new graduate program in environmental law designed
to prepare the next generation of global leaders in environmental
scholarship, research and public policy.

The program, co-directed by Kim Diana Connolly, professor of law
and vice dean for advocacy and experiential education, and Jessica
Owley, professor of law, addresses the increased need for lawyers
skilled and knowledgeable in the application of legal principles
and techniques to environmental and natural-resource problems.

“Whether advocating the position of a public interest
group, a corporate client, a government agency or a private
citizen, almost every area of legal practice today touches upon
some aspect of environmental law,” says Owley. “At a
global level, critically important issues such as climate change,
sustainability and transnational pollution require an understanding
of environmental law and policy.”

The Environmental Law LLM program offers students the
opportunity to deepen their knowledge in environmental law and
policy through traditional classroom study, experiential learning
opportunities and one-on-one academic advising. Students are
required to take a minimum of 24 credits of coursework on topics
including pollution control, greening Buffalo, land use, climate
change law and policy, historic preservation law and international
environmental law.

The program includes a seminar and large research project
requirement to teach students the skills needed to analyze
environmental law issues and construct arguments around those
issues. In addition, every student is required to complete a
clinic, practicum or externship where he or she works directly with
clients on real environmental disputes in order to prepare them for
practice.

Benjamin E. Wisniewski, an associate at the Buffalo law firm of
Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP, is the recipient of the first
Environmental Law LLM to be conferred by the school.

“Buffalo is the perfect setting for the Environmental Law
LLM program,” he says. “From nature's majesty in
Niagara Falls, to the cautionary tale of Love Canal, I cannot think
of a better setting to educate new environmental lawyers. Beyond
its location, I am confident the curriculum developed by the law
school provides an ideal blend of practical instruction and
academic exploration.”

Wisniewski, who also received his JD from UB School of Law in
2014, practices in the area of environmental and energy law, and is
a member of his firm’s government investigations and
enforcement actions practice team.

“It was a delight to work with Ben,” says Connolly,
who served as his experiential learning supervisor and thesis
advisor. “He was able to share what he learned from his first
few years of practice, which added a lot to the classroom
experience for everyone and enhanced his community work. His
thesis, ‘Local Legislative Power in New York State: The
‘Ghost of Home Rule,’ the Specter of Dillon and the
Need for Exorcism by Constitutional Convention,’ was
outstanding.”

The UB School of Law has a demonstrated history of academic
strength in the area of environmental law. JD students may
pursue a concentration in this area, participate in the
Environmental Law and Policy Clinic or submit an article for
publication in the Buffalo Environmental Law Journal. The law
school faculty include specialists in wetlands law and policy;
international environmental law; the transnational governance of
forests, animals and biodiversity; local environmental law; and
conservation.

The UB School of Law – the State University of New York
system’s only law school -- is located at the University at
Buffalo, a premier research-intensive public university and
SUNY’s flagship campus. UB has been an early leader in
addressing environmental issues, focused on finding solutions to
global challenges through research, education, sustainability in
its own operations and collaborating with the external community. A
signatory of the American College and University Presidents’
Climate Commitment, the university has pledged to minimize its
adverse impact on the environment and achieve “climate
neutrality” by 2030.

Admission to the LLM program requires a first degree in
law. To apply for fall 2017 or to learn more, visit: law.buffalo.edu/llm.